Author's Note: I love the reviews, guys. It helps motivate me to continue writing. Keep them coming in.

I really wish I can reply to guest reviews via PM, but I guess this will have to do.

Shout-out to Hal for pointing out my errors in my first chapter (it's rather embarrassing for me, a new fanfic author, to have an error-filled first chapter) and for the encouragement! Yes, the number of Lelouch/Shirley stories (excluding one shots and incomplete works) are rather small, which is one reason why I was motivated to try my hand at writing one of my own. I do hope it will turn out well.

Shout-out to KK as well for your words of encouragement. I hope that this story is really to your liking so far. Regarding your review of my third chapter, yes, I agree that the Ragnarok Connection was the reason why Charles never seemed too concerned about his children. They could all be 'together' once it succeeds. However, in the AU there's no Ragnarok connection so Charles kills off Victor (or V.V.) for assassinating Marianne. No tears for that him though.

And of course, thank you readers and other reviewers! I think I've thanked the reviewers with registered accounts via private message already, but nonetheless, I would still like to express my gratitude again. It's so heartening.

Most importantly, just a word of warning, this chapter introduces a huge chunk of the AU so it's rather wordy. I might have gotten a little carried away here. Hope it doesn't seem like one whole bunch of rambling nonsense. Wish you guys will enjoy this chapter regardless.

Chapter 5
The Bodyguard from the Past

"Wake up, wake up!" Milly chanted, smacking Lelouch's head repeatedly with a roll of paper. Lelouch, who was sleeping soundly, woke up instantly.

"What is it? I was having a well-deserved break," Lelouch grumbled mutinously. Shirley shot the vice-president a disapproving look. Months had passed since the wacky council dinner and it was time for a new school year. As time passed, Shirley grew closer to the student council members – Lelouch in particular, as they have spent many times having fun and organizing eccentric events, all of which are to Milly's taste.

Shirley also found herself interacting with and approaching the dark-haired teenager more, be it for homework discussion, school projects, student council issues and planning or just silly bickering in general. She would not admit it, but she was drawn to him. Beneath his haughty and disinterested front was a thoughtful and witty personality, which she enjoyed when talking to him. Sometimes, she wondered whether she really fancied him, and then thought why on earth she would take a liking to him. Was it his easy-going way of doing things, or his dashing good looks? Perhaps it could be his charisma or simply her desire to know him better somehow evolving into fondness? Nonetheless, she was highly critical of his gambling activities and extremely laid-back behaviour, and the lithe orange-haired girl was adamant about maintaining that stance. "Oh, if only Lulu was more sensible!" was an increasingly frequent line of thought for a wishful Shirley.

Currently, the entire student council was gathered in the student council room, planning the annual Ashford Academy school festival. All of them, save Nina – who elected to settle down in the far corner of the room, were seated around a long wooden rectangular table. Mountains of paperwork awaited the disgruntled student council members, most of them shooting the overflowing piles of documents worried stares or resentful looks. They have spent close to two hours trying to sort out the paperwork, but the amount of work seemed endless to them, which made the council members grouchy.

"Napping isn't allowed when the school festival is only four days away!" Milly answered, frowning at her subordinate in annoyance. "Couldn't the vice-president be more serious about his duties?" Milly groused in her mind as she took another swing at Lelouch with the paper roll, who promptly ducked. Usually, she wouldn't be so uptight about council tasks, but the school festival was an extremely big event to plan. She was an Ashford, after all, and as the event represented the school, it would affect her family's reputation if it was shoddy. Hence she could not help but be peeved at Lelouch for slacking.

"Bah," Lelouch rolled his eyes. Nevertheless, he picked up his pen from the table top and returning his attention to his pile of papers.

"There's a lot of work to be done, Lulu," Shirley chided, waving her pen subconsciously at Lelouch. "Don't attempt to skive by sleeping". Milly laughed a little at Shirley admonishing Lelouch, which was becoming a common occurrence during student council meetings. The auburn-haired teenager then switched her attention to the council president. "And prez, you really should have informed us about the deadline earlier, now there's so much work to do in so little time", Shirley said crossly.

"You're fretting a lot over a festival, in which your only role is serving drinks in your swimsuit in the swim club's café," Lelouch smirked, taking a playful dig at his classmate. Despite his frivolous demeanour, the large amount of work to be done was getting to him. He could see that his fellow council members were on edge as well, and he eagerly seized a chance to unwind and lighten up the mood of his friends simultaneously, even if that meant silly, albeit good-hearted, banter.

"It's a hard working job!" Shirley defended, her cheeks coloring slightly.

"You can't make fun of her when your job is just to toss oversized pizza dough in a machine, oh-so-useful vice-president," Kallen added smugly.

"At least it's a more respectable role, and a more important one, than playing as some monster in the haunted house!" Lelouch retorted. "All you do is spring out and scream to scare hapless couples."

"Hey, you're the one who assigned me that role!"

"Well… that was the only role available for you since you said you can't move about much..."

"Why you-!"

"Alright, cease this bickering," Milly ordered in the most authoritative voice she could muster. "Evening is coming soon, and that stack of paperwork isn't going to sort out itself. Back to work, people!" With that, the entire student council relapsed back to their sulky moods as they resumed their duties.

Jeremiah paused as he eyed the extravagant school in front of him. Ashford Academy was founded by Ruben K. Ashford of the once-noble Ashford family shortly after Japan was conquered by Britannia and subsequently became Area 11. The Margrave berated himself for not thinking of Ashford Academy earlier – it was fairly well-known that the Ashford family were fervent supporters of Empress Marianne and her children. Unfortunately, that led to their disgrace after her assassination. Thus, it was rather obvious that Lelouch would seek refuge with the Ashford family since they were allies with each other.

Jeremiah strode purposefully into the school through its main gates. His crisp knightly attire drew curious glances from milling students in the academy's courtyard. He was about to commence his search for the eleventh prince, then he realized that he had no idea where to start. Perhaps he should ask the headmaster or simply approach some students like before.

A middle-aged weedy man with grey hair and clutching a thick textbook caught Jeremiah's eye and he hastened towards him. "Excuse me, mister!" Jeremiah called out as he jogged over. "Are you a teacher around here?"

"Yes, I am." The scrawny older male wheezed as he regarded Jeremiah, noting his choice of attire with mild wariness. "How may I help you?"

"I was hoping that you could help me locate this student." The nobleman reached into his coat's pockets and produced the same picture of Lelouch he had shown the gaggle of girls a few days ago before showing it to the professor. "His name is Lelouch if I am not wrong."

"You're looking for him too? You and half of the academy's girls." The teacher complained audibly. "I heard from his friends that he has something to attend to, regarding the Ashford school festival. You might be able to find him in the student council room. It's in the building next to the one with the headmaster's office."

"Thank you very much, good sir!" Jeremiah could scarcely believe his luck. It seems that the weeks he had spent searching for the eleventh prince and his younger sister has finally paid off. The Margrave turned sharply and marched swiftly to find his liege. He wondered if Lelouch would recognize him from his time as a royal guard in the Aries villa…

Shirley stifled a yawn and stretched her arms upwards. The other student council members showed similar signs of fatigue as well, Suzaku rubbed his eyes wearily and Rivalz slumped against his chair. Lelouch, predictably, was nodding off again.

Milly was about to open her mouth to rebuke them again when she looked at the clock. It was already late in the evening, the setting sun casting a dim orange glow in the council room. Furthermore, her subordinates were clearly tired and more than half of the work has been done. The blonde decided to go soft on them after a day of hard work. "Very well. We shall call it a day here. Thank you all for your contributions today! We shall continue tomorrow after our classes," Milly announced loudly, causing both Rivalz and Lelouch to jerk up in their seats. "Today was productive, keep it up! When all of this is over, I'll buy you guys dinner!"

"Thanks, prez," Shirley smiled as she shuffled the pile of papers in front of her into a neat stack before she collected her school bag. The other council members were already getting up and leaving, muttering inaudibly under their breath as they trudged out of the room. Shirley glanced at Lelouch, who made no attempt to leave the room, which surprised her since he looked particularly tired today.

As though reading her mind, Lelouch gestured at singular slip of paper laid out in front of him. He smiled at her and said, "I'll just stay to finish this bit of work. I rather not have my train of thought interrupted. It's just one last paper and won't take longer than five minutes at most. See you tomorrow, Shirley."

"Oh. See you tomorrow, Lulu," Shirley hesitated. She actually wanted to talk to Lelouch for a while, regarding her concerns about the student school festival. However, if he was staying for a while to concentrate on finishing his last bit of work for the day, she felt obliged to leave him be, at least until he completed his work. "Maybe I should look for him here five minutes later," Shirley pondered as she turned and exited the council room, leaving the prince-in-hiding alone.

Lelouch leaned over as he wrote on the slip of paper, his handwriting untidy as he scribbled furiously in annoyance. The clock's mechanical hands ticked loudly in the silence of the council room. "The science club requesting for another budget raise for this festival…" Lelouch muttered, glaring at the paper's contents. He wondered whether he should approve of the budget increase – Milly would have his hide if he kept giving additional budgets to the student clubs. However, the science club was in dire need of additional funding since one of them has claimed that they were near a scientific breakthrough. As they were just students, Lelouch was doubtful of their claims, but they were persistent in their requests. Suddenly, the door slid open and a couple of firm footsteps echoed throughout the room.

"Lelouch?" the new arrival asked. His voice was deep, perhaps a mature male, and vaguely familiar to Lelouch for some reason. His tone was respectful and contained a slight hint of doubt and hope.

"Yes?" Lelouch sighed in frustration. He was unhappy that his thoughts were disrupted again. He had his back to the door, thus he was unable to see who had entered. The prince shifted in his seat, craning his neck to see who the newcomer was, and he froze.

Standing before Lelouch was a tall male with short dark green hair. His orange eyes shone with determination as he gazed into Lelouch's amethyst ones. But the feature that caught Lelouch's attention the most was the stranger's attire, it was instantly recognizable as a military uniform, complete with the coat of arms of the Holy Britannian Empire. In short, he was a Britannian military officer, possibly a knight or someone of a higher status.

Lelouch leapt out of his chair, a rare display of physical exertion from him and he stared at Jeremiah in consternation. A thousand thoughts flooded into Lelouch's mind as he was sent into a momentary panic. "Is he a Britannian knight? How did he find us? Did the Ashfords sell us out? Is he going to capture us and drag us back to Britannia? Or is he going to kill us? Perhaps he's an assassin sent by my mother's murderers or even the Emperor?!"

"I have been searching for you for months, Your Highness," Jeremiah began and took another step forward. Out of the blue, his expression shifted, a variety of strong emotions showing on his face - elation, guilt, sorrow and relief and he went down on one knee. "My Liege, I have found you at long last. Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald, at your service!"

Lelouch gaped at the Britannian nobleman in confusion. Before the surprised prince could think of a response – whether to acknowledge the nobleman, attempt to knock him out and flee, taking Nunnally with him or try to bluff his way out somehow, the door opened again. To Lelouch's dismay, it was someone much more familiar than the Margrave kneeling before him.

"Hi Lulu, are you done-", Shirley stopped and she blinked, flabbergasted at the scene. Jeremiah maintained his position of submission before Lelouch, although he did turn his head around slightly to catch a glimpse of who had entered the room. Shirley did not recognize the person, who was kneeling in front of her classmate for some unknown reason.

There was a brief moment of silence before Lelouch sprang into action, grabbing Jeremiah by his upper arm with all the strength he could muster and tried to pull him to his feet, to little avail. "Get up," Lelouch hissed under his breath insistently, glaring at Jeremiah. The bewildered nobleman quietly complied and he rose to his feet swiftly, towering over the two teenagers.

"He's a family friend of mine," Lelouch forced a grin onto his face, the cause of Shirley's astonishment quite apparent. He sought to find an appropriate excuse for Jeremiah's kneeling and hastily came up with one. "He was just tying his bootlaces when you came in, Shirley. His name is Jeremiah…" his voice trailed off and he shot the Margrave a glare.

"Gottwald," Jeremiah completed, catching onto Lelouch's plan. Whatever reason the young prince had for masking their identities, he did not have the right to question it and he respected the younger man greatly. Shirley's eyes flickered downwards at Jeremiah's boots. Only then did Lelouch realize there was one major flaw in his excuse. Jeremiah's boots were without laces. Both males tried not to grimace openly when they noticed the obvious error.

"Oh. Nice to meet you, Mr. Gottwald. I'm Shirley," Shirley's lips tugged upwards, trying to make a smile despite her confusion. There was more than a hint of doubt in Shirley's voice, but thankfully she let the obvious fib slide past, much to the relief of the two males. Jeremiah nodded politely towards the adolescent girl. She was attractive for her age in his eyes, but he dismissed such thoughts. He came here to retrieve Lelouch and Nunnally, not to admire women more than a decade younger than him.

"How can I help you, Shirley?" Lelouch stepped forward urgently, trying to ignore Jeremiah. He wanted anyone associated with Lelouch Lamperouge – the false him, to be gone while he dealt with problems with his past as Lelouch vi Britannia. It was to keep his and Nunnally's identities a secret and lives safe. While he highly doubted that Shirley would somehow pose a danger to him or Nunnally, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Lulu," Shirley apologized meekly as she stammered slightly. "I-I just wanted to talk with you for a bit. I'm a little worried about the school festival."

"Ah," Lelouch's facial features softened a little. "Well, I might be a bit busy over here," the dark-haired teenager jerked his thumb at Jeremiah. "I promise I'll tend to you later. How does half an hour later outside your dorm room sound?"

"That's great! I'll see you there later then," Shirley gushed and glanced at Jeremiah, who was patiently waiting in the corner and nodded at her in understanding. "Sorry!" she repeated as she took several steps backwards, exiting the room and sliding the door shut before returning to her room.

Lelouch exhaled and glowered at Jeremiah the moment Shirley's footsteps faded away. "So, what does the Emperor want now?" Lelouch growled tensely. He did not see any point in denying his identity anymore, he made the mistake of responding when his name was called. Furthermore, Jeremiah was larger than him and likely combat trained, and Lelouch was dismal in physical combat, so fighting the Margrave was out of the question.

"Your Highness," Jeremiah addressed Lelouch respectfully, bowing a little. "Your father, the Emperor, wishes to have you and Princess Nunnally back in the homeland. He wishes me to emphasize that Britannia is your home, Your Highness. It is where you belong-"

"Where I belong?" Lelouch barked harshly. He started laughing, softly at first, and then it grew in volume and hysteria. Lelouch doubled up with maniacal laughter, which echoed eerily through the room. "The Empire, ruled by the man who did not lift a finger when my mother was murdered, abandoned me, and abandoned Nunnally, and left us to die, is the place where I belong?!" Lelouch's eyes glinted with loathing, and everything bitter, everything he hated about his past came pouring forth like blood from an open wound.

"I've yet to hear a better joke, Margrave Gottwald!" Lelouch sneered, his voice dripping heavily with sarcasm. "And you can tell my father that I will never return to Britannia! Nunnally and I-", Lelouch's voice broke and he gulped, his tone getting more emotional as he resumed. "Nunnally and I are happier here. We will not return to the nation ruled by that hypocrite of a man, who could not even be bothered about the death of his own wife!"

"That's where you are wrong, Your Highness," Jeremiah cut in, his face stricken. "Forgive me for my interruption, but the perpetrators behind Lady Marianne's murder were found guilty five months ago. All of them were executed, by the order of the Britannian Emperor."

Jeremiah's revelation immediately brought Lelouch up short. "Come again?" Lelouch asked breathlessly, his eyes wide with stupefaction. He could not believe his ears. After all these years, could Charles have finally fulfilled his promise?

"The assassins and conspirers behind Lady Marianne's murder were captured and executed", Jeremiah repeated. "They were from an organization known as the Sword of Akasha." There was a momentary pause.

"I've heard of them before, but only a little. Explain." Lelouch demanded, frowning, as the name was vaguely familiar to him. He decided to put his boiling rage aside temporarily to hear the Margrave out. The news he bore was certainly intriguing and paramount. The prince's amethyst eyes flickered over to the Margrave, who nodded quietly.

"They were an elite group of bodyguards formed by the grandfather of the current Emperor, Uther al Britannia. Their initial purpose was to guard Uther and his wife, Akasha. Most of its members back then were distinguished nobles who rose to power through their prowess, although some have relations to the Britannian royalty. However, their pride led them to practice hereditary roles – their offspring would be able to join the Sword of Akasha regardless of merit or ability. For decades, they were able to enjoy special privileges and lorded over the lesser nobility and commoners". The nobleman paused to catch his breath and cleared his throat.

"Sixty-five years later, the organization was disbanded by Charles zi Britannia shortly after he ascended the throne, for he feared that their hereditary practice would mean inept bodyguards when they were supposed to be elite," Jeremiah resumed. "Additionally, their growing prejudice against ordinary folks and lower-ranked nobles was well-known and it caused friction. Of course, the nobles weren't happy about it, but they were kept content by Charles zi Britannia's aggressive campaigns against Europia and the Chinese Federation, which meant more land, more resources and more riches for them." Lelouch debated interrupting, but he let Jeremiah go on.

"However, the Sword of Akasha members weren't so easy to please," Jeremiah continued quietly." They stuck together despite Charles's public abolishment and frequently carried out terrorist attacks against his regime. Eleven years after Charles's ascension, they made a daring attempt to assassinate Lady Marianne and her children, for she was a commoner and that made you and your sister of common descent. It was… impure in the eyes of the Sword of Akasha members, who firmly believed that royal and noble blood should be kept separate from commoners. The Emperor, of course, didn't believe in that and after seven years of investigating, the key members and leaders of the Sword of Akasha were identified and executed. The ringleader was none other than Victor zi Britannia, elder brother of Emperor Charles."

"I didn't hear any of this on the news," Lelouch murmured as he tried to digest this new information. He didn't have many memories of his uncle, Victor, as he had only seen him once during one of the rare times he managed to see his father.

"It was kept quiet. Only the Emperor and the other royals know," Jeremiah hastily replied. "The Emperor didn't want to draw attention to the fact that Lady Marianne's children are still exiled to this day."

"So I'm forgotten then. Perhaps that is for the best," Lelouch laughed humourlessly and he slumped into a chair heavily. "How would you explain that the Emperor attacked Japan when he was the one who sent us there to hide safely in the first place?" Lelouch challenged Jeremiah, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared demandingly at the noble for a satisfactory response. "And how would Britannia be safe for us? Only the leaders have been executed, and they can be replaced easily. The Sword of Akasha can return."

"The Sword of Akasha, as mentioned earlier, Your Highness, is made up of nobles who inherited the roles regardless of their capabilities. Over the past generations, they have degenerated to a bunch of lazy rogues, content to sit in their chairs, twiddling their thumbs while they profit from their positions and the results that the organization brought. Only the leaders back then were competent and the driving force of the syndicate. Without them, they would be running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Amateurish, helpless and inefficient. Furthermore, whatever competent members they had were slain during their assault on the Aries Villa. And all the chiefs have been arrested and killed. Of course, Emperor Charles is not satisfied with just executing the key leaders. He seeks to arrest the other members as well. Incapable or not, they're still a threat. He estimates that they will be fully exterminated by next year."

"Why should I believe all this? I need proof."

"I understand," Jeremiah bowed as he reached inside his coat, retrieving a stack of papers. He passed it to the waiting prince's hands. "This is a report on the Sword of Akasha and the members charged with Marianne's murder. It is signed by the Emperor himself, Crown Prince Odysseus eu Britannia, Second Prince and Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia, Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia and Third Princess Euphemia li Britannia."

"Euphemia?" Lelouch questioned as he took the report from Jeremiah and flipped through the pages, his eyes darting as he rapidly skimmed through its contents. The royal seals and signatures of the members of royalty Jeremiah mentioned were there, alright. He did not trust the Emperor or the inept Odysseus, but he had faith in Cornelia and to a lesser degree, Euphemia, as the latter was too naïve in his own opinion. Lelouch placed the report on the table and made a note to himself to peruse it later.

"As for the war against Japan, I assume you are familiar with the Oriental incident", Jeremiah said, his heart lifting a little after Lelouch appeared to calm down. "Japan had long maintained a neutral position towards Europia, Britannia and the Chinese Federation. However, they aligned their sakuradite policies against Britannia to force the Empire to negotiate with the other superpowers, a year after your exile. The Britannian Emperor faced immense pressure from his military and political advisors to conquer Japan, for he had no intention of negotiating with the other superpowers. It would look suspicious if he resisted the pressure from them, as it is most unlike Britannia, which is well-known for their aggression against other nations. The Sword of Akasha members, who were still uncaptured back then, may take it as a sign that you and Princess Nunnally were sent there since Charles never mentioned the place where you two were exiled to. To quote the Emperor, the best and only course of action was to invade Japan and pray that both of you survive."

"How callous. And he calls himself our father," Lelouch remarked snidely, although he finally gained a better understanding of his father's point of view. "If he really cared about us, he would retrieve us or send us to another location before the war broke out."

"It was too risky to send out any messengers overseas for fear of interception," Jeremiah pointed out. "The Emperor was quite… paranoid back then."

Lelouch sighed and he massaged his temples with his hand slowly. There was a moment or two of silence as the prince struggled to take in this information "So that scoundrel might have managed to deliver his promise, in a way, after all", Lelouch chuckled wryly after a while.

"Would you come back to the homeland, Your Highness?" Jeremiah pressed on eagerly, ignoring the fact that the eleventh prince just casually insulted the Britannian emperor. "The Emperor would be most pleased to have you and Princess Nunnally back."

"I suppose he wouldn't take no as an answer, wouldn't he?" Lelouch enquired, daring to hope, although he already knew the answer.

Jeremiah shook his head. "The Emperor would prefer it if you came back on your own terms, but he has made it an order. This means that I have the authority to subdue you if necessary." He paused for a while, before adding, "Please don't let me do that, Your Highness. I have a lot of respect for you, and I would prefer not to use force even if it's on the Emperor's orders. So what is your answer?"

"Subdue? That just shows how insensitive that imbecile is. As for your question... I'm not sure," Lelouch admitted, shaking his head. "I cannot give a definite answer right now, Margrave Gottwald," Lelouch glanced at the windows of the council room, looking at Ashford Academy with a slightly wistful look.

Jeremiah waited patiently for a response, but Lelouch was still staring at the school grounds even as the seconds ticking by turned into minutes. Finally, the older male resolved to break the silence. "Pardon me, Your Highness, but is it because you have an attachment to this place?"

"An attachment? What's that supposed to mean?"

"You have been in this Area for several years. This school and Area must mean a lot to you. You must have made many friends here as well. " Jeremiah said, with a small but curious smile playing on his lips. "Perhaps... you have found someone you cared for here too?" He took Lelouch's continued silence as an affirmation, and he continued. "Was it her, Your Highness?"

"Who?" Lelouch asked absentmindedly as he twirled one of his raven locks, still looking at the academy before him.

"That girl from earlier. Shirley," Jeremiah replied, in a matter-of-fact tone. "She's your girlfriend, isn't she, Your Highness? Both of you seem rather close. Is that why you're reluctant to leave?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Lelouch snapped in annoyance, though he felt a faint stir in his heart. "She isn't my girlfriend". Lelouch fell into silence for a while as he continued thinking about the current situation. "Nunnally and I can finally return to the homeland… but it won't be as happy as the times before the assassination."

"Margrave Gottwald," Lelouch spoke steadily, looking at Jeremiah. Fierce amethyst eyes met resolute orange ones. "I cannot give you a definite answer yet. But I will consider this after I pursue the report you gave me. This requires me to meditate over it for a very long time." It was a half-truth, as Lelouch preferred him and Nunnally to remain in Area 11, away from the Britannian royalty and possible assassins. His statement was nothing more than a delaying tactic to buy him more time to think. "And I must complete my studies here at Ashford Academy," Lelouch added as an afterthought.

"I will relay this to the Emperor later, Your Highness," Jeremiah nodded in understanding.

"Very well. You are dismissed," Lelouch replied as he continued to muse over his situation. He then noticed that Jeremiah did not move an inch. "I said you are dismissed, Margrave," Lelouch repeated, infusing his voice with authority.

"I'm afraid that I cannot obey that, Your Highness," Jeremiah returned dourly. "The Emperor foresaw such a possible situation. His orders were that if you are not to return to Britannia immediately, I am to be your guardian and bodyguard until you return to the homeland."

"Afraid that I will try to escape, isn't he?" Lelouch mocked and shook his head. How typical of the Britannian Emperor to be distrustful of even his own children. "Well, if that's the case, you need to have some sort of alias or fake job. You can't be drawing attention to me or Nunnally. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Your Highness", Jeremiah saluted sharply. "I'm sure that I can arrange something with ex-Duke Ruben Ashford. He is sheltering you and Princess Nunnally and is aware of your identities as royalty, am I right?"

"That is correct," Lelouch sighed and he looked up at the clock. It was close to thirty minutes since Shirley inadvertently stumbled upon them. "Now go and have a word with him now. Once you're done, report to me at the student clubhouse residential area. Right now, I need to attend to Shirley".

"Yes, Your Highness. Please don't leave your girlfriend waiting," Jeremiah quipped, allowing his stern demeanour to slip a little after he was done with bringing Lelouch up to speed.

"For the last time, Margrave Gottwald, we're not a couple!" Lelouch insisted, his eyes narrowing dangerously at Jeremiah. "One more time and the first thing I'd do if I return to Britannia is to demote you to a peasant working at an orange farm!"

Three Days Later, Ashford Academy Swimming Complex

"That's enough of swimming practice today!" The voice of the new swimming instructor, Villetta Nu, rang out. Shirley groaned in exhaustion as she pulled herself out of the swimming pool, water sloshing around her feet as she hauled herself to her feet. She was, of course, clad in the Ashford Academy swimsuit, which was a dark blue one-piece swimsuit complete with white narrows stripes along the sides. Her leg muscles - both the quadriceps and glutes, were aching severely from the vigorous practice. Normally Shirley wouldn't push herself so hard during swim club sessions, but she was selected as one of the eight participants in the swimming competition for the school festival, which was only a day away. Additionally, the new swimming instructor was significantly sterner compared to her predecessor.

Shirley wondered what happened to the previous swimming instructor, Mrs Clarison. She was only in her late twenties, so retirement was definitely out of the question. There was no mention of her quitting or changing her job from her either. It was as though she vanished to be immediately replaced by the new instructor, Villetta Nu. The change occurred only two days ago. The new teacher was slender and slightly taller than Shirley. She had smooth and tanned dark skin, long bluish hair with yellow eyes. She was unique in the sense that she had a military-esque feel – on her first day, Villetta admitted that she served some time in the Britannian armed forces. Coach Villetta was definitely strict, but amusingly, she seemed to be unable to effectively handle a group of active chattering teenage girls.

"Alright, gather round!" Villetta shouted, waving her arms to gather the swim club members. Shirley tried not to wince as she walked over, her thighs throbbing with pain. It nearly took two minutes for the milling students to finally assemble quietly before their new head of the swim club. "I was just notified that the school festival is tomorrow", Villetta began, looking at the swim club members steadily. "What does the swim club plan for the festival other than the swimming competition?"

"We planned to have a swim club café." A brunette, whose name Shirley could not remember no matter how hard she tried, answered. "We are to serve as waitresses in our swimsuits at the café. The culinary club agreed to provide us with food and drinks."

"I think it might not appeal to everyone, though," Sophie piped up. "There's going to be visitors not only from Ashford but the public as well". There were murmuring voices behind her in assent.

"Does anyone have more ideas, then? Perhaps I would be able to help, somehow," Villetta asked as she raised her eyebrow questioningly. Only silence greeted her and the swim club members traded uneasy glances, nudging each other.

"I might have one, coach Villetta," Shirley suggested, raising her hand. She felt the eyes of all the swim club members on her and she tried not to feel small. "Since most of us are only teenagers, perhaps you could join us as a waitress as well as a grown-up, maybe with different attire. I think we have some rather unique swimwear in the storage".

"Oh yes!" A new voice chirped in. "We definitely have some unique swimwear for such occasions. I think it would fit coach Villetta very nicely! Think of it, we would have pretty young girls to sexy grown-up women. It's great, isn't it?" This statement was quickly met with wild applause and more than one swim club member smiled mischievously at their new coach.

"Um… I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with that…" Villetta shifted uncomfortably, her heart sinking a little as she witnessed more than one swim club member nodding among themselves excitedly. Villetta was a secret agent and a former royal guard sent by the Emperor to help Margrave Gottwald keep an eye on Lelouch vi Britannia. She served alongside Jeremiah when they were both knights as Empress Marianne's royal guard and was awarded the rank of Baroness for her role in defending Marianne's children during the Sword of Akasha's assassination attempt. While Villetta was told that she might have to put up with some quirkiness from the students in her new job, particularly from the student council president, she did not have a good feeling about this.

"That's great!" Shirley said happily. "Shall we go with that idea?"

"Yes!" The voices in agreement grew to a clamour, quickly overwhelming the hapless coach. Villetta groaned inwardly and closed her eyes, counting to ten calmly before opening them.

"Fine," Villetta sighed in defeat. "How does the so-called special swimwear look like?"

"I got it!" someone yelled and ran up to Villetta, showing her the scanty swimwear. Villetta's eyes widened with incredulity.

"You can't be serious!" Villetta protested, eyeing the revealing swimsuit with a mixture of horror plain on her face. "I can't be wearing this!"

"Come on, coach! You said fine!" Shirley pleaded, giving Villetta the puppy dog eyes.

"Shirley… I'll get back at you for this. If only I didn't have to play teacher for this mission", Villetta thought irately as the other swim club members insisted with the plan and chanted loudly, drowning Villetta's objections. "I'll get back at you for this… just you wait!"

Author's Note: Not to worry, Villetta's 'revenge' is nothing too serious. It will be light-hearted and ridiculous. Embarrassing at most. Please do let me know what you guys think, especially about the scene between Lelouch and Jeremiah.